Armrest pad structure

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to an armrest pad structure which mainly has an armrest pad to be assembled on an armrest post. The armrest pad includes a base for mounting on the armrest post, a spacer plate, a flexible pad and an upper cover. The flexible pad has multi-color selectivity. In this way, the armrest pads can be selected according to the overall design and color tone of chair. Saving of tooling cost and labor hour can also be achieved.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the invention

The present invention relates to an armrest pad structure, more particularly to armrest pads provided on armrest posts at both sides of a chair for supporting user's elbows.

2. Brief Description of Prior Arts

Generally, chair means for person use such as chair, office chair, wheelchair, electric wheelchair, electric scooter, walking aid is fixed with armrests at both sides thereof. Chair means of this category are mostly produced by mass production mode, but these chair means are not necessarily able to fit the style or needs of each individual. Therefore, there are many chairs including: the type having adjustable seat-cushion height, the type having adjustable armrest height, the type having its armrests shiftable in left-right direction, or the type having adjustable seat-back tilt, available on the market, so as to enable users to adjust their seats to optimal state fitted to their needs.

Concerning currently known armrest, there are many embodiments having different way of adjustment for front-rear position and left-right turning, and concerned industries also have conducted R&D activities on armrest height and left-right shift adjustment.

However, in addition to the corresponding adjustment of support position, the armrest on the overall chair also has key issues concerning vision and comfortableness.

Conventionally, as the supporting strength is the sole concern in the design of armrest, so hard materials are usually employed as the armrest.

Most of users put their elbows on the armrests to allow both hands to rest, the touch feeling of hands on the armrests made of hard material is not good and both hands may feel uncomfortable. Moreover, as customers have diversified needs on the color tone of chair, the color of armrests should be compatible to the color tone of the chair. In manufacturing of armrest, after the batch of armrest with same color is finished, then the next batch of armrest with different color can be started to produce. This will result in bad production output and hence production efficiency is decreased in manufacturing process. As the manufacturing cost in this case is increased, there is still rooms for further improvement.

In view of the above reasons, the inventor of the present invention hereby proposes the armrest pad structure of the present invention according to the research conducted to improve the disadvantages of conventional product, based on his abundant experiences in both R&D and manufacturing of associated industries, so as to achieve the purpose of better implementation value.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide an armrest pad structure, the purpose of which is to improve the disadvantages of conventional armrest structure so as to achieve the effect of saving manufacturing cost by the technology of replacing soft armrest pad according to the color tone of chair means.

The object and effect of the armrest structure of the present invention can be realized by the following technology.

An armrest pad structure is provided, in which the armrest pad, including a base for assembling on an armrest post, a spaced plate, a flexible pad and an upper cover, is assembled on an armrest post, wherein the flexible pad has multi-color selectivity. In this way, the color of the armrest pad can be selected corresponding to overall design and color tone of chair. Saving of tooling cost and labor hour can also be achieved.

According to the armrest pad structure of the present invention, the armrest post is provided with a mounting seat for assembling with the base, and the base has holes for securing to the mounting seat.

According to the armrest pad structure of the present invention, the base is provided with snap-fit portions, and the upper cover is correspondingly provided with hooks in such a manner that the upper cover and the base can be locked together by the mutual engagement of the snap-fit portions and the hooks.

According to the armrest pad structure of the present invention, breaches corresponding to the hooks are provided along the circumference of the flexible pad for the passing-through of the hooks when engaging with the snap-fit portions.

According to the armrest pad structure of the present invention, the flexible pad can be made by the material selected from plastic materials, rubber or silicon rubber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS

The present invention will be better understood by the detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanied drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective exploded view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective assembled schematic view of the appearance of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective assembled sectional schematic view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional schematic view of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The technical contents, objects and effect of the present invention will become more apparent by the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanied drawings.

Firstly referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the present invention provides an armrest pad structure in which an armrest pad (2) is mainly assembled on an armrest post (1). The armrest pad (2) comprises a base (21), a spacer plate (22), an upper cover (23) and a flexible pad (24).

The base (21) is assembled on the armrest post (1). The base (21) has a close-loop vertical wall (211) projecting upward at the central portion thereof. A number of through holes (212) and a plurality of reinforcing ribs (213) are provided internally of the vertical wall (211). A plurality of snap-fit portions (214) is provided along the circumference of the vertical wall (211).

The spacer plate (22) is placed over the vertical wall (211) to shield correspondingly the through holes (212) and the reinforcing ribs (213).

The upper cover (23) is disposed above the base (21). The upper cover (23) has a hollow portion (231) which has a plurality of hooks (232) corresponding to the snap-fit portions (214) of the base (21) and provided along the peripheral edge thereof.

The flexible pad (24) is clamped between the vertical wall (211) of the base (21) and the upper cover (23), and projects over the hollow portion (231).

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 together, the armrest post (1) of the chair has a mounting seat (11) for assembling with the base (21) in assembly operation. The mounting seat (11) has a number of holes (111) corresponding to the through holes (212) of the base (21), and thus the mounting seat (11) and the base (21) can be firmly fixed together by using screws passing through the holes (111), (212). Next, the spacer plate (22) is placed over the vertical wall (211) of the base (21), the purpose of the spacer plate (22) is to shield the through holes (212) so that the through holes (212), reinforcing ribs (213) or screws can be protected from unnecessary pressing when the flexible pad (24) is subject to external force application. In this manner, user will not have discomfort feeling when his hand is rested against the flexible pad (24). Furthermore, the bottom contact surface of the flexible pad (24) can remain intact without damage.

In turn, after the spacer plate (22) is placed on position and the flexible pad (24) is correspondingly covered over the spacer plate (22), the hooks (232) of the upper cover (23) are allowed to pass through a plurality of breaches (241) correspondingly provided along the peripheral edge of the flexible pad (24), and are engaged with the corresponding snap-fit portions (214) of the vertical wall (211) of the base (21). After the engagement of the hooks (232) and the snap-fit portions (214) is finished, the flexible pad (24) is projected over the hollow portion (231) of the upper cover (23).

Next, manufacturer of chair can change flexible pad (24) with different color in coordination with the overall tone of the chair in delivery. There is no need to produce a chair with specific color tone upon order. It is also very easy to replace the flexible pad when there is a need to exchange it, as the snap-fit design of the present invention enable users to disassemble the armrest pad structure very easily. The flexible pad (24) can be made by the material selected from plastic materials, rubber or silicon rubber that is sustainable to user's elbow and has flexibility.

It is apparent from the above description of element constitution and implementation, the present invention has advantages set forth below when comparing with conventional structure.

1. The armrest pad structure of the present invention enables saving of manufacturing cost by easy replacement design of the flexible pad in response to color tone of chair.

2. The armrest pad structure of the present invention enables users or manufacturers to disassemble or assemble the armrest pad structure very easily by the easy snap-fit design of the present invention.

3. The armrest pad structure of the present invention enables comfortable feeling of user's elbow by using the flexible pad with suitable flexibility.

Summing up above, the embodiment of the present invention can achieve predetermined effects and the specific configurations disclosed therein is unprecedented in the same category of the product or even opened to the public before application. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An armrest pad structure, in which an armrest pad comprises a base, a spacer plate, an upper cover and a flexible pad, wherein: the base has a close-loop vertical wall projecting upward at the central portion thereof, a plurality of reinforcing ribs being provided internally of the vertical wall; the spacer plate is placed over the vertical wall to shield the reinforcing ribs; the upper cover has a hollow portion at the center thereof, a plurality of hooks corresponding to snap-fit portions of the base being provided along the peripheral edge of the hollow portion; the flexible pad is clamped between the vertical wall of the base and the upper cover, and projects over the hollow portion of the upper cover.
 2. The armrest pad structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the armrest pad is assembled on an armrest post which has a mounting seat for assembling with the base, the mounting seat having a number of holes provided thereon corresponding to a number of through holes provided on the base for mutual locking.
 3. The armrest pad structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible pad has a plurality of breaches corresponding to the hooks of the upper cover for passing-through of the hooks, and the breaches being provided along the periphery of the flexible pad.
 4. The armrest pad structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flexible pad is made by anyone material selected from of group containing plastic material, rubber, silicon rubber.
 5. The armrest pad structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flexible pad has a plurality of breaches corresponding to the hooks of the upper cover for passing-through of the hooks, and the breaches being provided along the periphery of the flexible pad.
 6. The armrest pad structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the flexible pad is made by anyone material selected from of group containing plastic material, rubber, silicon rubber.
 7. The armrest pad structure as claimed in claim 3, wherein the flexible pad is made by anyone material selected from of group containing plastic material, rubber, silicon rubber.
 8. The armrest pad structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flexible pad is made by anyone material selected from of group containing plastic material, rubber, silicon rubber. 